Cleaning staff employed by Nviro at Council Offices have had a unilateral pay cut - they have been forced to reduce their hours by half an hour per week, to pay for a Living Wage increase. The council and Nviro expect them to do the same amount of work, but take home less pay! Why? Council Officers were instructed to refuse Nviro's request to increase the contract price to take account of this paltry pay rise, so they told their staff their hours would be cut. This, from a firm whose own website states they are a "Company with a conscience", and whose turnover in 2014 was a mere £70 million. And the Council? At Policy and Resources, on 29/11/2012, with cross party support, it was agreed to pay the National Living Wage (currently £8.25) to Council staff and to give a "commitment to meet any annual increase in the Living Wage rate (for Council or relevant contracted staff)". When other companies took similar action to avoid forking out for the new legal “Living Wage”, even George Osborne said it made him “angry” as they weren't acting “in the spirit of the law”. He said “"I think that companies these days should be much more careful about their reputation and much more aware of their social responsibility to their workforce as well as to their community." Meanwhile, the GMB have forced Carillion, cleaners contractors for Nationwide (a principle partner for the Living Wage Foundation!), to reverse their cut-pay-by-cutting-hours by preparing to ballot for strike action. UNISON is now seeking urgent clarification from the Labour administration as to whether it will force officers to comply with a Council Policy. Similarly, that the Council ensures that Nviro will both pay the Living Wage (at £8.25 per hour), this is backdated to 1st April, and cleaners hours are restored to 31st March onwards. Brighton & Hove City Council is in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and UNISON, in the local Living Wage Campaign (267 organizations are "signed up") - we ask, is this campaign just a good PR opportunity for them, or will our politicians stand up for the lowest paid in the City?